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A research consultant has revealed to Ars Technica that he can force NFC-equipped Android and Nokia phones to run malicious code in several ways -- but only with specific devices and constraints. The first violation used the near-field Google Beam function, but only affected certain NFC phones running ICS or Jelly Bean. This could allow an evildoer to send a malicious website to an unsuspecting victim to possibly compromise their data. The next exploit was limited to a Gingerbread-equipped Google Nexus S, since later Android releases patched the bugs necessary for the hack. It allowed a so-called tag to access the NFC functions in the OS, and with a little more legwork could offer up access to more malicious programs. The final invasion was made on the Meego-powered Nokia N9, which the expert controlled by Bluetooth, using NFC -- as long as the dupe overrode the defaults and enabled that function. If so, a hacker could dial out from the phone, send messages or upload and download files, depending on which security settings were enabled. Fortunately, exact hardware and software combinations aside, nefarious types would still have to be within an inch or two of your phone to enable their NFC box of tricks. Take a look at the source for the full interview.

With only vague plans for two new Meego smartphones and a loose commitment from Nokia in its pocket, nervy startup Jolla went ahead and signed its first sales channel -- Chinese retailer D.Phone. The company made the announcement by Twitter, since it doesn't even have a website yet, calling itself a "rising smartphone product company," and saying that it will use D.Phone's 2,000 stores to sell the as-yet nonexistent handsets to Chinese consumers. It also confirmed that the first device would launch later this year featuring a fresh version of MeeGo, though the company didn't discuss dates or any new features that the new OS version might pack. For a mobile platform that was on death's door, it may have just been gifted a possible reprieve -- provided Jolla can build phones to match its ambitious plans.

We already know that the MeeGo splinter group, Jolla, is following a slightly different path to what we've known and loved on the N9, but don't fear: there's every chance that the smartest features from the original OS will be retained, not least because Nokia has just given the startup a gift-wrapped bundle of patents. Jolla founder Jussi Hurmola mentioned the altruistic gesture in an interview with ItViikko, and although he didn't specify exactly which patents have been transferred, his warm words towards his former employer -- with whom he said he enjoyed a "good and open relationship" -- give us a strong hint as to their value.

Update: We've seen comments on a number of forums saying that ItViiko's mention of the patents is unconfirmed speculation, so we're reaching out to Nokia for further clarification.

Update: Apologies all. Turns out the source article wasn't quite accurate in its description of patents being given to departing employees. Nokia tells us it's supporting Jolla through an incubator program called Bridge, but it has not actually given over patents to any of the Bridge startups.

This week will be remembered as a volatile one if you're a MeeGo fan. Just hours after Nokia posted the PR 1.3 update for N9 owners, the company's MeeGo development lead Sotiris Makyrgiannis and other team members have confirmed that they're leaving for greener pastures. The split appears to be an amicable one, with the crew largely going to CloudBerryTec to write mobile apps (including for MeeGo) and consult on software even as they share fond memories. What's left is a lot of doubt over the fate of the swipe-driven OS itself. Nokia promised years of support for the OS as a side project following the big leap to Windows Phone, but it also hadn't mentioned the possibility of important staff departures, either. We've reached out to the company for a fuller answer -- if it turns out that MeeGo development is winding down, the staff shift could be the end to completely in-house OS creation at a company that was once defined by its custom platforms.

MeeGo isn't quite dead, and Nokia N9 users are getting another update pushed to their phone to prove it. PR1.3, a firmware refresh that's been in the works at least since 1.2 was released a few months ago, has finally been made official. But this is no simple bug fix -- the latest version of MeeGo offers an impressive 1,000 "quality improvements, including mail, Facebook and Twitter." According to Nokia's official support page, the update will also provide several network and connectivity enhancements. The 203MB OTA download is now beginning to roll out, starting with unbranded devices and branching out from there. Continue past the break for the full statement from Nokia.

Update: We'll give a hat tip out to our commenters, who clued us in on a forum thread that discusses many of these "quality improvements." It appears that a large number of them are indeed bug fixes. Some of the actual boosts involve camera feature enhancements, higher volume, NFC fixes, better video decoding and more precise copy and paste [thanks BertrandsBox!] We also initially experienced sluggish behavior on the new update, but a factory reset seemed to resolve the concern.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Not all mobile news is destined for the front page, but if you're like us and really want to know what's going on, then you've come to the right place. This past week, we learned of the first market outside of China for ZTE's new Grand X smartphone, and received news that both the Sony Xperia U and Xperia P will arrive in Australia. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of June 18th, 2012.

Sure, Nokia's Lumia 900 and 808 PureView may have garnered much of the spotlight lately, but lest we forgot about its flagship MeeGo handset, the N9. If you've been anxiously hoping to somehow score this slab of polycarbonate unlocked in the US sans gray-market importers, apparently Fry's Electronics has you covered. Phone News spotted a listing for the phone in the store's latest weekly ad -- although upon closer inspection, it appears that the retailer isn't too sure about its actual specs. Aside from describing the 3.9-inch slab of polycarbonate as a 4.3-inch device, it's also flubbed on the OS, calling it "Mego." Perhaps the most interesting error, however, is that the handset's ClearBlack AMOLED display is listed as Super AMOLED -- Samsung's competing technology. Assuming these are merely errors, you'll be able to pick one up for a spendy $600. Hit up the source link below to view the full ad.

Springtime is here. It's a season of renewal, and similarly, an ideal time to replace your aging phone with one that you'll adore. With this in mind, we give you Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide -- your one-stop resource for selecting the best handset that fits your desires and budget. This time around, we're doing things a bit differently. In addition to naming the top phones for each provider, you'll now find more comparisons across carriers. This should help you find the best possible handset -- regardless of network -- if you're willing to make the switch. Also, you'll no longer see limited-time offers as our budget picks -- they'll still get a mention, but now, only phones that commonly retail below $80 will qualify for this coveted spot. Naturally, new smartphones are always coming onto the market, so before you make your final selection, be sure to consult our reviews hub for the very latest recommendations. With that in mind, read on as we round up the best smartphones of the season.

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alphaandroidandroid 4.0Android4.0googlehackice cream sandwichIceCreamSandwichmeegomodn9NITDroidnokianokia n9NokiaN9Project MayhemProjectMayhemvideoThu, 22 Mar 2012 21:13:00 -040021|20198873http://www.engadget.com/2012/03/07/inception-brings-root-privileges-to-nokia-n9/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
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So, here's the thing: Aegis, the security framework on the Nokia N9, has been busted wide open -- thanks to an exploit known as Inception. Much like root access on Android, the software allows developers to write apps (and users to install apps) that take full advantage of the N9's capabilities. Naturally, exploits such as these aren't for everyone -- in particular, Inception requires a familiarity with the command terminal -- but if you've ever wanted to load custom kernel modules, activate disabled hardware features or apply community-provided upgrades, a quick and relatively painless method is now here. A few words of caution: users mustn't upgrade their firmware beyond PR1.2 without first confirming that Inception is compatible, and because the exploit allows applications to gain full access to the phone, users should only install apps from trusted sources. Want to know more? Just follow the rabbit hole in the source below.

Today at Mobile World Congress we spent a few minutes talking with Stefan Pannenbecker, VP of Industrial Design at Nokia about Espoo's past, present and future handsets -- including the just announced 808 PureView, Lumia 610 and Asha 302 / 203 / 202, as well as the Lumia 900 we played with at CES. He shared his insights on Nokia's design language and philosophy and some interesting details such as the clearcoat finish used on the Lumia 800 / 900 and N9. Enjoy the video.

Nokia N9 users, if you've yet to activate your beloved device today, then do so post-haste. It looks like our army of faithful tipsters found PR 1.2 ready to roll this morning. The 284MB update should be available worldwide, although a few users in Saudi Arabia are yet to see any goodies. Video calling, folder functionality and copy and paste should all be available in this release, but we'll let you get elbows-deep in the update and stop spoiling the surprises that are in store for you.

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HarmattanMeegoMeego 1.2Meego1.2mobilepostminiN9NokiaNokia N9NokiaN9PR 1.2Pr1.2SmartphoneUpdateMon, 27 Feb 2012 09:56:00 -050021|20180450http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/10/nokia-n9-spotted-running-ice-cream-sandwich-dual-boot-in-the-wo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/10/nokia-n9-spotted-running-ice-cream-sandwich-dual-boot-in-the-wo/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/10/nokia-n9-spotted-running-ice-cream-sandwich-dual-boot-in-the-wo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsThis above is the first glimpse of Android 4.0 running on the Nokia N9. Yes, it looks like Ice Cream Sandwich is in being ported to the company's iconic handset by no other than Alexey Roslyakov and team NITDroid -- the folks who previously put Android on the Nokia N900. The project, which is still in its early stages, made significant progress after recently overcoming a framebuffer driver/HAL hurdle, allowing ICS to be displayed on the phone. In addition, a dual-boot solution is in the works letting Meego and Android 4.0 coexist on the device. We certainly can't wait to experience using Ice Cream Sandwich on some of the hottest white hardware around. Can you?

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Alexey RoslyakovAlexeyRoslyakovAndroidAndroid 4.0Android4.0dual-bootGoogleIce Cream SandwichIceCreamSandwichICSMeegomobilepostminiN9NITDroidNokiaNokia N9NokiaN9portingFri, 10 Feb 2012 06:37:00 -050021|20168801http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/white-nokia-n9-hands-on-behold-the-last-unicorn-video/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/white-nokia-n9-hands-on-behold-the-last-unicorn-video/http://www.engadget.com/2012/02/08/white-nokia-n9-hands-on-behold-the-last-unicorn-video/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsLet's keep this short and sweet. This is the rare snow-white Nokia N9 and it's absolutely stunning. We first captured a glimpse of it at Nokia World and now we've obtained a specimen. The only difference between this piano-lacquer white handset and its more pedestrian sibling is the (likely less durable) shiny clearcoat finish covering its machined polycarbonate body and the leather pouch replacing the silicone case normally supplied in the box. Everything else is exactly the same as the matte black phone we reviewed last year. We've attempted to document the exquisite beauty of this mythical beast -- sadly the last of its kind -- in our hands-on gallery below. Go ahead and take a look, then hit the break to watch our unboxing video. Just be warned that there's a strong chance you'll drool profusely whilst ogling these pictures. At least the white Lumia 800 and 900 are just around the corner, right?

Today's been all about the white phones, and Nokia's new Lumia matches that glossy finish we saw on its near-identical twin, the white N9. Here, opposing the matte goodness of the rest of Lumia 800 family, the unibody shell has an almost-enamel feel on what is still largely the same polycarbonate material (Nokia tells us that each "batch" has to be tweaked for each color). From our brief play with the device, it's looking to be a pretty pervasive color choice to go alongside that pitch-black AMOLED screen. We know the phone is set to arrive later this month, blessing fans of blanc in the UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain and another handful of European countries. See how its good looks stack up against the rest of the Lumia rainbow in our hands-on gallery below.

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colorglossyhands-onlumialumia 800lumia+800+whiteLumia800lumia800whitemangonokianokia lumia 800nokia n9nokia+lumia+800+whiteNokiaLumia800nokialumia800whiteNokiaN9unicornunicornswhitewindows phonewindows phone 7.5WindowsPhoneWindowsPhone7.5Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:40:00 -050021|20165148http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/refresh-roundup/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/refresh-roundup/http://www.engadget.com/2012/01/22/refresh-roundup/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#commentsYour smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

New details on the forthcoming MeeGo update for Nokia N9 users have just emerged this morning, courtesy of a batch of leaked screenshots and firmware information. Originally posted by a user on talk.maemo.org, the shots point to many upcoming functions with which Android and iOS users are already familiar, including copy-paste browser support and a notably iOS-like folder layout. Also included in the screenshots are support for video calls and tweaks to the OS' camera and gallery apps, though details remain unclear. Equally unclear is the release date for PR1.2, though the screenshots cite a build date of January 30th, so it may very well be nearing.

Nokia's MeeGo'd pillowcase smartphone has been given a 90-degree twist. This new landscape mode works across the three main navigation screens and can be accessed through N9Tweak, an unofficial mod that can be downloaded through the phone's web browser. Any compatible apps will also launch lengthways, all of which should help alleviate those N900 pangs.

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hacklandscapelandscape modeLandscapeModemeegomobilepostminin9n9tweaknokianokia n9NokiaN9smartphonetweakvideoFri, 23 Dec 2011 22:03:00 -050021|20134294http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/white-nokia-n9-descends-from-lintukoto-goes-on-sale-in-finland/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/white-nokia-n9-descends-from-lintukoto-goes-on-sale-in-finland/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/08/white-nokia-n9-descends-from-lintukoto-goes-on-sale-in-finland/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Espoo isn't making it any easier to say goodbye to MeeGo's last dance with polycarbonate. Nokia's alluring and elusive N9 in-snow-white-dress appears to now be on sale... in Finland. Web retailer Verkkokauppa has the handset listed on its site for 630€ -- that's $840 for you import types. Memento hunters throughout Europe can buy what this Finnish site's selling or just sit tight and wait for the color variant to hit their respective markets this December. But if patience isn't at the top of your priority list, we'd suggest you hit up the source below with some plastic in hand.

What better way to welcome a new boy in town than just a quick hands-on with it? Well, how about throwing a mini phone party for the Meizu MX? We just so happened to have a stash of phones with us today: the M9, iPhone 4S, Nokia N9, Xiaomi Phone, Galaxy S II and Galaxy Note. Conveniently, the MX's four-inch display lets it sit bang in the middle of the group, and the phone also turns out to be a tad thinner, narrower and shorter than the Xiaomi Phone. Of course, we'll dig a little deeper in our review, so stay tuned and enjoy our party pics for now.

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cellphonecomparisonfeaturedfeaturesfightgalaxy notegalaxy s iiGalaxyNoteGalaxySIihands-oniphoneiphone 4sIphone4smeizumeizu m9meizu mxMeizuM9MeizuMxmobile phoneMobilePhonemobilepostcrossmxn9nokia n9NokiaN9phonesamsungsmartphonevsxiaomi phoneXiaomiPhoneThu, 08 Dec 2011 06:31:00 -050021|20123379http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/04/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-28-2011/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/04/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-28-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2011/12/04/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-28-2011/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

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7740amazonandroidandroid 2.3android gingerbreadAndroid2.3AndroidGingerbreadcellcomcm9cyanogenmodcyanogenmod9droiddroid bionicDroidBionicfirmwarefirmware updateFirmwareUpdategingerbreadhtcice cream sandwichIceCreamSandwichicsincredible 2Incredible2kindlekindle fireKindleFirelglg optimus 2xLgOptimus2xlumiameegomicrosoftminipostmiuimotorolamotorola droidmotorola milestonemotorola xoomMotorolaDroidMotorolaMilestoneMotorolaXoomnokianokia lumia 800nokia n9NokiaLumia800NokiaN9optimus 2xOptimus2xrefreshrefresh roundupRefreshRounduprounduprrsamsungsamsung fascinateSamsungFascinatesoftware updateSoftwareUpdateupdateupgradeverizonverizon wirelessVerizonWirelessvzwwindows phone 7WindowsPhone7xoomSun, 04 Dec 2011 10:02:00 -050021|20119739http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/that-rarest-of-creatures-the-white-nokia-n9-should-appear-befo/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/that-rarest-of-creatures-the-white-nokia-n9-should-appear-befo/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/30/that-rarest-of-creatures-the-white-nokia-n9-should-appear-befo/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
A poet would say it's like a piece of ivory: both beautiful and sad. Meanwhile, Nokia's official blog says the white N9 is coming to the UK before the end of the year with a rarefied 64GB of on-board storage. We have no idea as to the price, but we suspect dedicated MeeGo memento hunters will hardly care.

Update: Oh hell, sorry Britannia. We actually meant to say it's coming to all those (not very many) countries where the N9 is already available. Nokia confirmed to us today that it's on target to supply white N9s to those markets in December. Everyone else will have to get it via a price-inflated import. Apologies for the bad geography.

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64GBcollectiblecollectibleshistorymeegomobilepostcrossmobilepostmininokianokia n9NokiaN9rarewhite n9WhiteN9Wed, 30 Nov 2011 06:13:00 -050021|20117394http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/nokia-n9-user-previews-pr1-2-update-full-of-camera-and-imaging/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/nokia-n9-user-previews-pr1-2-update-full-of-camera-and-imaging/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/29/nokia-n9-user-previews-pr1-2-update-full-of-camera-and-imaging/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Many N9 users are still waiting to receive the PR1.1 update from Nokia, which officially began rolling out last week, but one lucky individual is already dabbling with what's next from Espoo. After viewing the handful of screenshots, it's obvious that PR1.2 will provide a number of enhancements for photo enthusiasts. For instance, the camera application sports a refined interface with all flash options visible at once. There's also facial recognition in the gallery, along with support for color profiles in the display options. Additionally, users can now manage apps from the application menu, and keen-eyed observers will likely notice the re-styled buttons. We've also been told to expect changes to the N9's default font, Nokia Pure Text, which we can only assume will make its arrival with PR1.2. Take a peek after the break to satiate your typeface urges.

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camerafontfontsmeegomeego 1.2Meego1.2mobilepostminin9nokianokia n9nokia pure textNokiaN9NokiaPureTextpr1.1pr1.2smartphonesmartphonesupdateupdatesTue, 29 Nov 2011 07:20:00 -050021|20115986http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/27/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-21-2011/?utm_medium=feed&utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_campaign=Engadget&ncid=rss_semi
http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/27/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-21-2011/http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/27/refresh-roundup-week-of-november-21-2011/?utm_source=Feed_Classic&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Engadget#comments
Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging to get updated. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery from the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!